Solomon Academy

Kyn just kind of stared blankly at the scene unfolding. In fact she probably didn't blink during it.

"Well if no one is injured and there is no fight going on I do not see a need to get involved."

And with that she swung back up to the main deck like the weird girl she is.

It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.

Aaron

"Well, looks like you've got everything handled." Aaron smiled as he watched Jirou heal Jun. "I'll leave Juli to you and the kid, Boss. You guys are probably better at consoling people than I am. I'll see if Sindbad needs any help on deck-"

And then he was moving, a half second before he processed the sound of someone tumbling down the stairs. His body reacted on impulse, moving to catch the person, and he went with the flow, once he determined that the person falling down the stairs probably wasn't an enemy.

Aaron caught them - her, he realized a moment later - and gently set the person on their feet. "Hey, you okay?" He asked, then his brain caught up with his ears and registered the question. He opened his mouth, then closed it as realization dawned. "Kat? Holy shit, you look... different."

He eyed her form up and down a moment. "Still lookin' good though. You been working on shapeshifting, I guess? That form really suits you."

Aaron flashed her a broad smile. "Glad to have you back on the team, Kat. I missed you."

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

Katarina

It was only after the fact that Katarina registered what in Bast's name had happened. How she'd been caught in a pair of big meaty and all to familiar arms, and how she was gently set back on her long furry feet.

And how part of her wanted it to last a moment longer.

And the same man who those arms belonged to was telling her she looked good. That she still looked good. Which was the last thing she expected. Nothing about she took off without saying a word? How she gave him the ultimate confession, only to throw it all away? Nothing about how he was furious or pissed or thought she was a good for nothing stray?

But... no. There was none of that. Not with him. And perhaps that's what she should have expected. He wasn't freaking out. Wasn't railing on her for how she left him in the lurch. Wasn't poking or prodding her, wasn't asking her twenty questions or demanding answers.

He missed her.

And maybe, just maybe, she missed him too.

So perhaps, against everything telling her ' FUCK NO ', it was time to be honest with herself.

She didn't blush. Didn't question. Didn't ask if this was wrong or how she could possibly have feelings for such an ignorant sweaty brute. So ignorant that he was brushing everything off like it never happened. All she did was get back up, dust herself off, and tell him the honest truth.

"Thank you. It means a lot. And... I've missed you too. Though I can't say I left on the best of terms. Maybe this is a tad out of character, but I shouldn't have gone off without saying a word. I should have said something. Anything! I just..."

What could she say? That she had resented herself and everything she was? That she had left him without giving so much as a by-your-leave? That she had made a deal with the devil of all things out of desperation?

She still wasn't sure how she went through with that one.

"...i needed to sort things out. And I couldn't do it here. It'd be like trying to stitch together a corpse at a wake. But I'm not sure if I could have gotten there if it wasn't for you. So despite everything — or perhaps because of it — what I said to you is still true. Sentimental hogwash, I know. And I understand if you don't want to do anything with me. Or if you simply want to take things slow. But..."

She took another step, tail swishing as she gently leaned forward and moved her fuzzy face closer to his. "..think we could pick up where we left off?"

Edited by kkhohoho on Dec 18th 2020 at 8:32:10 AM

Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around

Below Deck

---

"You're welcome. Ditto," Móirín answered Jirou and Jun. "If you're charging though, he's paying." She cocked her head to Jun.
The cat changing int a cat-person did not stop Móirín from turning and walking out and seeking out a nice spot on the decks. It was Aaron saying 'Kat' and the cat girl well, talking like Kat. She glanced at the scene and then Jirou.
"So, is that like normal?" She asked Jirou. If anyone could spot a magic trick, twas the oni. Sinbad did not mention hallucinations or spirits taking the form of ex-teammates. Maybe. She was paying attention to the hunting a leviathan part. And the last she'd seen Kat, she was... well, breaking down just like how she found her now. Okay, that still doesn't explain what she's doing here.

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives

Aaron

As Kat stepped close, Aaron put his arms around her, still smiling. "You know what's funny? I thought I had fucked up."

He was still a bit damp as he held her gently against his bare chest. "I thought I'd said something or done something stupid without realizing it, and that's why you left. I don't try to dwell on stuff like that, but it always bugged me."

Maybe that was why he was so irked at Moirin's attitude. She'd brought up Kat, and that memory had stung. But now, now that Kat was in his arms? Aaron knew that Moirin was watching, but didn't care. He didn't smirk at her, didn't so much as look in her direction, because he had no reason to hold a grudge against her.

"So yeah, I'm down." He leaned forward, to whisper into her ear. "And we can go as slow or fast as you want, baby."

Then he planted a kiss on her lips. "Because I love you, Katarina."

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

Chimera

Jirou smiled watching Aaron and Kat reconnect (And come to thing of it, she seemed to have had something of a makeover before rejoining the class). "She was fighting Armin's illusions with us when I cast the dispelling mist. As far as I can tell, it seems our wayward classmate has returned." He murmured to Moirin. "Kat...appears to be a little more comfortable in her skin now too, don't you think? Less bothered about her appearance and quirks."

Below Deck

---

Móirín could've asked 'who's Armin', but, at this point, certainly one of the turncoats. Aaaand, she missed the fight with them. Oh well, the sea creature ride was well worth it. And the others had lived.
"Okay," the fomorian shrugged. This was a strange time for Aaron to have called Kat for a booty call. Then again there was an escape door built into the ship. Civvies being allowed was possible. Probably. "Well, Sinbad probably has a mess somewhere and the local marine life is full off of their share of the leviathan. I'm going to go get the recipe for my hunk of levi meat and keep working."
As soon as Sinbad told her how to roast leviathan, she would store up the meat and the orb and go surfing with her shiny new sea monster armada. Because how could she not. And it counted as work. She would call it a patrol.

Edited by CenturyEye on Dec 18th 2020 at 10:01:22 AM

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives

Katarina

A month ago, Katarina would have revolted at the sheer thought of even touching such a boorish, overmuscled man-ape. Such an act of pure, hormonal instinct and infatuation wouldn't have even crossed her mind. If they didn't have a solid head on their shoulders, then they could go and shack up the nearest blonde-haired bimbo for all she cared.

But though she'd gained a strong taste for red meat, it wasn't as though Aaron was stupid. Maybe it seemed that way at first glance. And he wouldn't win awards for brainpower. But beneath that raw, rippling exterior was one of the most decent and understanding men she'd ever met.

That he also had enough muscle to make Conan blush was a bonus.

And so, held against his thick, damp skin and kissed square on the lips, any reservations she had were tossed out the nearest window. "Oh, I don't think we need to settle on anything just yet. For once, I think we can toss the manual in the nearest dumpster and see where it takes us. If you know what I mean?"

She wrapped her furry arms around his neck, planting a big fuzzy kiss of her own. "But this isn't a bad start."

Edited by kkhohoho on Dec 18th 2020 at 1:13:13 PM

Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around

The Chimera

It only took a bit longer before the remains of the Leviathan to be brought next to the ship and the remaining ocean monsters to sink back under the waves, but eventually the work was done and Sinbad turned back to the students with a bright grin. "It seems we are smiled upon today by the heavens, a monster was slain, enemies defeated, and best of all my ship didn't end up sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Each of you should feel proud for the parts you played today."

With that the students were sent back through the door to the Academy, Aphrodite already there to greet them, giving out hugs or gentle pats on the shoulder, carefully wrapping up Julia in motherly hug once the situation with Armin was explained. Sessions with Lucifer were promised when she felt ready, and a large meal was awaiting the students in their dorms along with fresh clothes and hot baths to remove the stench of the ocean from them.

Eventually night would fall and darkness would be cast over the dorm room. In the darkness of the night a single entity moved through the dorms main hall, a cat moving ever so silently until it passed through a wall into Juli's room, its eyes giving a faint glow in the darkness as it approached her dagger, sitting and observing it for a moment. Then something odd happened, the dagger seemed to shine for a moment as a few drops of blood fell off its sheen surface, reflecting in the cats glowing eyes.

Observatory

A number of scientists stand around one of the most advanced telescopes on Earth, arguing over a new object moving far away from Earth. According to the trajectory the object was moving at a steady pace through the heavens. A number of thoughts and theories were thrown around, but one thing was clear. Whatever the object was it was massive, at least the size of the Earth's moon. And it was approaching ever closer, on a direct path to the planet.

Classroom

The next few days had been perfectly ordinary, as far as life ever was in Solomon Academy at least. Normal classes and their usual mix of combat, medical, and mythological learning. Kat had been stuck with extra work by all of their teachers in order to bring her potential up to what the rest of the class was at, Scáthach even making it a point to ensure she wasn't left behind during the training they were put up against.

However the class they were sent to today was rather odd, a mostly empty room without desks, chairs, or any sort of posters. The only thing on the otherwise stark walls was a clock, ticking away. At the front of the room stood a woman, tall and beautiful in the sort of ethereal way that the students would have come to connect to the divine. She glanced at the students one by one before nodding. "Whats up hommies, are you ready to rock out and learn to the max?" each word was spoken with a dull droning voice, not a single change of her features being apparent. Once it became clear that her introduction might have fallen a bit short she simply sighed. "My name is Kaguya, you can consider me a being on par with what you refer to as 'gods', through I am at least a few steps removed from anything so mighty. I will be teaching you introductory magic studies and be your primary teacher on preventing yourselves from going insane due to the machinations of Outer Being's. I will push your souls and minds to their limits, but never too far. I look forward to teaching each of you," she lowered her head respectfully to the students.

"Now then, I am sure that you may have noticed this room is without the typical trappings of a classroom, that is deliberate for today. Assuming you can complete my test the rest of today will be open for your personal use, consider it a long weekend. Any questions so far?"

Be better, because what is the harm in trying?

Juliana didn't get much sleep that night. Or the night after that. Armin's death still weighed on her, playing out whenever she tried to sleep. She had no idea what they'd done with the corpse, or even if there was a corpse at all. Would he be buried in some unmarked grave for his crimes against humanity, becoming little more than dust in a box?

Juli came into the new class tired and guilty, heavy bags under her eyes and her braid loose and messy. "Hi," she mumbled, waving at her teacher with one hand and rubbing one eye with the other.

"Kept me waiting, haven’t you? Tch. No matter. Dawdle all you’d like. In the end, your defeat remains inevitable."

Katarina

The last few days had been a rollercoaster. On the one hand, she'd been on something of a high. She had begun to appreciate the joys of being a 6 foot kitty kat with the instincts to match. Seeing that beasty roast itself alive in part to her own wit and cunning was a wonder to behold, and gave her a thrill that only taking down a Colossi could match. It was something she knew she couldn't get anywhere else no matter how hard she tried, and never had before her makeover. And she wanted more.

And being stronger and faster than Joe Schmoe plus all those other perks didn't hurt.

She'd also gotten back together with Aaron. Something she wasn't sure she wanted when she called up Aphrodite and agreed to come back in the first place. She still remembered the sheer repulsion she felt when she first laid eyes on him.

But now?

It was a trip.

On the other hand, she was starting to wonder if she should have thrown in the towel when she had the chance. Between taking back her room from the horde of cats, struggling against mountains of extra coursework, and dealing with the embodiment of sadism that was Scathach, it was a wonder she was in any shape to play with her furry little friends or whisper sweet nothings into Aaron's ear.

Speaking of which. Or rather the one before that. Ever since she first turned into the Lion King's spotted cousin, she'd begun to have a deeper understanding of the feline mind. Mostly because she could understand every little meow or growl they hissed out. Even their use of body language made sense. And they could understand her in turn. Since then, they had spent every waking hour begging her to pet them and play with them and join in the fun, even barging into her room in the middle of the night like a Jehova's Witness on six cups of coffee. Before long, she had no choice but to concede.

...and it wasn't that bad.

Perhaps it was her moment of clarity back in the hold, or perhaps she had finally gone off the deep end. But frolicking and playing with all the other kittens was the opposite of terrible. She never did it for long, and it wasn't something she'd do in public. But at least among other cats, it wasn't a waking nightmare.

Maybe she was getting something out of her system?

The only other thing of note was a strange gem she found in her bed one morning. Half of it was a brilliant red-orange like the sun, the other a glimmering silver like the moon. She wasn't sure what to make of it. But she knew it was special. Holding it in the palm of her hand, she could feel the power. Radiating outward, a sensation tingling down her spine and towards her stomach like an orgasm.

Shame she didn't know what to do with it.

She tucked it away, slipping it in her spiffy new blouse for the moment. For now, she had class to attend. She raced on all fours before getting back on two legs at the entrance, batting an eye as her teacher greeted them with all the emotion of a cashier at Hardee's.

She could swear her arteries hardened at the mere thought.

She had half a mind to ask miss Kaguya if she was performing a stand-up routine before she noticed Juli barely staying awake. She'd been too busy with her own troubles to pay her much heed, but the least she could do was make sure she wouldn't drop dead at a moment's notice.

"You know, I'd ask if you were feeling under the weather, but I think we both the answer to that question. Still losing sleep over a corpse?"

Edited by kkhohoho on Dec 18th 2020 at 10:41:12 AM

Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around

Following the resolution of what Kyn would class as an exceptionally good nautical hunting trip, she definitely had a bit of a positive glow to her as she slinked into the blank room and took in the new class. And then also the name of their new teacher. It doesn't take long for her to perform a slightly stiff bow (motion, not weapon).

"Apologies, if I knew you would be one of our teachers I could have prepared better for first impressions. It is an honor to meet one who can claim governing right to the realm my mother shares!"

With the bow complete Kynigos lets out a bit of a breath she had been holding and tries to be more 'chill'.

"What is the nature of this test we are to face?"

It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.

Jun Sheng

"Wait, what are the actual specifics of how this works?" Jun turned to face Kynigos, pointing at their new teacher, who seemed to have the enthusiasm of an anaesthetised sloth. "Does she share the moon with your mum? Are they roommates?"

"But in all seriousness, not going insane sounds great! So, what do we have to do for you?"

Aaron

The last few days had been probably the best in Aaron's life. The killing of the Leviathan wasn't even a part of it. He didn't take pride in that sort of thing, anyway, and besides which he'd only killed it because someone had helpfully explained its weakpoint.

No, the reason he'd enjoyed these past few days was love, pure and simple. Kat was back, and was back together with him, and he felt like the luckiest bastard alive. Havoc seemed to have sensed his master's happiness, and took a liking to her almost immediately. Or maybe he just remembered her from before.

Either way, life was good. It also helped that he'd figured out the spear-summoning thing he did. It had been hard, at first. He hadn't understood what he'd even done, then. It was instinct; Aaron always ran on instinct. That made it hard to control his strength sometimes. But he'd been practicing to control it, and he thought this should be no different.

Havoc's horns had grown longer.

Aaron hadn't noticed at first, but it strangely had stood out to him when he'd been trying to summon a sword to his hand. He'd been laying on his bed, Havoc next to him, staring at his palm for a while, when he noted that Havoc's horns were growing out long and straight.

Because of course his dad would want war dogs with spears on their heads. It wasn't like dogs could hold weapons, so it made sense for their body to be the weapon instead.

And then Aaron was holding a spear. It clicked instantly. The others had their weapons, Juli's knife, Jirou's new sword, Jun's... thing. But Aaron never felt comfortable with any weapon. No one weapon fit his style. Aaron realized in that moment that he did not need a weapon. Aaron was the weapon.

Summoning weapons had gotten a lot easier, after that. He still practiced anyway. He couldn't afford to make a mistake in the heat of battle.

---

He arrived at class with a smile on his face, giving his girlfriend a peck on the cheek, before giving Juli a sympathetic look. Aaron wished he knew how to help her, but he just couldn't think of anything. He guessed it was something you just had to learn to live with.

So he focused on the teacher. Who, according to his cousin, was associated with the moon. You'd think Kyn would be more upset that someone was stepping on her mother's turf.

Shaking his head, Aaron gave the room a once-over. "You said the room is empty on purpose. Why is that? Something about clearing our minds, or what?"

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

Before Classroom - 'We rule the seas'

---

Móirín knew the feeling already. Well, the fun part not the chains of commanding. After that incredible hunt, she'd spent the time going to sea alot. Soaking in her mini-spa was no substitute.
And when she was back and not studying, Móirín spent most of her waking hours carefully forging a new greatsword. She was awake in that class—it was making shiny weapons after all—but only working during Hephaestus's office hours and trying to work in leviathan horn and that orb made things slow and deliberate. Fitting pieces from the orb to the sword and leaving enough to mount in her room took half the daylight of one day by itself. Plus at the same time, she was trying to figure out how to grill the meat from her catch.
Her new tasks left precious little time for being lazy, and she didn't realize that until it was far too late. Now she got an itch whenever she laid back, like something might be unfinished. Well, she still needed news on her throne to be and history on the last king and what was happening in the meantime. And she probably shouldn't keep relying on the school to communicate that. Which meant more deep sea diving. Or taking someone's crystal ball. Or mirror, though Juli was still a wreck.

---

Classroom

---

Móirín marched into the class whistling. And on time. She didn't miss a beat, playing along to Kaguya's introduction. She 'played' on her sword like it was a guitar and twirled. "Hell yeah! Let's do this thing!" Couldn't argue with more magic and a hard workout.
When the teacher asked for questions, the fomorian just kept all of her eyes open and kept shuffling. The others had already asked the 'so what are we doing' questions.

Edited by CenturyEye on Dec 20th 2020 at 4:43:40 AM

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives

Classroom

In between the time the class returned from their Leviathan fishing trip and today, Jirou had spent his free time trying to learn more about the mysterious sword he had been given, though he had little to show for it as the weapon remained stubbornly lodged inside its sheath. Seeking help from Hephaestus shed a bit more light on the matter, though it also left Jirou feeling a bit more baffled, frustrated, and with a lot more questions. According to the Forge god, Jirou's sword was sentient on some level, and for reasons only known to itself, was judging his worthiness to wield it and would not unsheathe until it did so. What was it judging him on? Jirou had no clue, nor could Hephaestus tell him. So the Oni figured out the least he could do to start was learn how to properly fight with a sword...and he asked Scathacth to be his coach.

In hindsight, that might not have been the smartest decision, though it was certainly up there in terms of effectiveness. Jirou may be tough, but getting hit enough times would hurt just about anyone, and even after a good night's rest, the Oni was feeling oddly tender pretty much everywhere on his skin, wincing slightly as he took a seat in Kaguya's class.

And speaking of Kaguya...this would mark the first teacher that Jirou actually knew about before meeting them in person. In a way, the choice made sense. Despite being a princess, Kaguya suffered through a lot mentally, being sent to earth from a young age to develop attachments, only to be torn away from them at their strongest, never to return. Not to mention she was quite literally a friendly inhuman from the moon, and might have some insight on alien thoughts.

"I have several questions...but I believe those can be answered best through experience rather than explanation." He eventually responded.

Classroom

Kaguya glanced to each student, focusing first on Jun's less serious question and calmly answering. "There is a certain division of labor, as one might imagine it takes a bit more to get the moon moving then it takes to swing a blade or sing a song." her words were spoken with no malice too them, simply stating facts from her own perspective.

Next she turned to Aaron, inclining her head in a slight nod toward his insight. "Something akin to that, but its more for your own safety then anything else. That will become apparent in just a few moments."

As Jirou spoke up she glanced to him, only for her eyes to be drawn to his blade, a ghost of what could be a smile going across her face. "Well spoken Taiyō o eranda, practical experience will take you quite far."

And then finally she looked to Kyn, pointing toward the clock on the wall. "For the duration of this class period you will be attempting to exit this room. The moment you leave it and enter the hallway you are free to enjoy the rest of your day." with that said her eyes began to glow a ghostly white, and each student would feel an odd sensation, like a sewing needle being pricked against the back of their necks. "This test begins now," she stepped back into the wall, literally melding with the stone that made up the room until she totally disappeared.

And as the students would quickly come to realize, that wasn't the only thing that had changed. The room itself had grown much larger, the original few steps to the door had been replaced by a long stretch so that the door itself was only visible on an otherwise flat horizon.

As if the add more chaos to the mix, the floor beneath them began to shake, a pillar suddenly shooting up before the class and descending just as quickly, and if the feeling under their feet was anything to go by it was likely going to be them being shot to the now very high roof if they didn't move quickly.

Be better, because what is the harm in trying?

Katarina

Katarina slapped the back of her neck as soon as she felt the pricking of her skin and a sharp pinch of static in her fur. After being put through the wringer by the demon teacher from Tartarus, this wasn't anything special. But damn if it didn't sting.

Before she could so much as blink, the teacher vanished into the walls and the room ballooned like Inception. She would have cursed under her breath, but after Scatacth and everything else, she knew this wouldn't be the end of it. And she'd be proven right. As soon as she felt the quaking of her feet and saw the pillar shoot up before her sharp narrow eyes, she knew what was really going on.

The teacher was trying to kill them.

Again.

Again again.

How this school had never been closed down for child endangerment, she couldn't hope to fathom.

Either way, she needed to get off the ground fast. But she wasn't sure how. She may have been fast, but she wasn't the fastest roadkill alive. Maybe ould sink her claws into the walls and climb along towards the exit, but for all she knew, the walls could follow the same fate. If only there was a way to get around that. Some way to make all of this feel utterly trivial. Maybe if she could whip up a potion or something and float along the breeze like a breath of air, that would be something, but—

And suddenly she felt her whole body shrink as she floated up above the ground, two large growths spurting out of her back as she winced in slight discomfort. She spun around, sure that she had gone and changed without thinking. Again.

She really had to keep a better watch on herself.

So what she turned into this time? From what she saw, she was a mangy little grey runt with big chubby cheeks and a thick, luxurious mane around the neck. Okay, fine. Not the worst thing she'd gotten. That would have been the cat in the hat.

By Bast was that a nightmare.

But it didn't explain why she was floating. She spun around, trying to see if there was anything that could explain...

...oh.

Ohhh.

She had wings. Two large, feathered wings like a hawk.

As amazed and entranced at such a sight, she was more baffled at how this even happened. Far as she knew, cats didn't have wings. If you spent your days on the internet, you might believe otherwise, but that wasn't how it worked in the really-real world. Unless...

...could that have been it? She remembered seeing a statue of a winged cat on a trip to the local museum. From the worn plague sitting at the bottom, it was supposed to be from medieval times. Spun out of some myth or legend born from a father seeing a hawk clawing out a cat's innards or something.

To be fair, she didn't have the best memory.

But if this school had taught her anything, even the most ridiculous myth or legend was real. Which meant she was on easy street. She rocketed towards the exit, soaring past the pillar and shouting with glee as she zigged and zagged and loop-de-looped. "EAT IT, YOU MOON-PRINCESS SADIST! WOOOOOO!"

Curiously, the gem she had picked up hadn't gone away with the rest of her garments and possessions. It had remained, embedding itself in the centre of Katarina's breast and shimmering just under the tufts of her thick silky fur. But she was too thrilled with her current discovery to notice or care.

Perhaps she should have paid better attention to the details.

Edited by kkhohoho on Dec 21st 2020 at 10:15:31 AM

Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around

Classroom

---

"Thanks, I could have gotten those from a horoscope..." Móirín grumbled, rubbing her neck and watching Kaguya vanish without having really answered a single thing. After class she'd intended to be right back here for magic tutoring. Not like she was going to get this close to another magic teacher and just walk away after this pretest. Though if Kaguya was going to do the riddle style of teaching, maybe not.
"Juli," Móirín said, watching the first pillar shoot and fall and the deserter shouting and... flying. Huh. "I need to borrow your mirror after class. Or in just a bit if we're stuck here for too long." Even with the floor shaking under her feet, Móirín walked at a steady pace, holding her (sheathed) sword in front of her as a sort of measuring/warning stick.
"Jirou," she said to the class magician and guy who should know what the teacher did. "What's going on here?"

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives

"What..." Juliana rubbed her eyes again, too tired to entirely get what Kaguya was saying. "Alright...when does it—"

And suddenly, the teacher was gone and the room stretched out. "...that's new."

Equally as suddenly, the floor started shaking under her feet. Juli had barely a moment to figure out what was happening before a pillar shot upward from the floor. "GAH!" she shrieked, thrown out of her stupor.

Barely hearing Móirín or Kat, Juli took off for the door. She had no idea how long it would take to reach it, nor did she care. All she wanted was to escape this crazy classroom.

"Kept me waiting, haven’t you? Tch. No matter. Dawdle all you’d like. In the end, your defeat remains inevitable."

Aaron

Aaron scratched the back of his neck as Kaguya disappeared. This test was too easy; even he could tell that there was a catch.

That catch became immediately obvious as he turned to leave. The door was now easily hundreds of yards away. And there'd probably be traps or some shit.

Aaron was running towards the door even before the ground began to shake. He had to jump off of the pillar that shot up, continuing his sprint for the exit, all the while on the lookout for whatever other bullshit Kaguya was going to throw at them.

Kat was already ahead of him, mostly because she'd somehow grown wings. And had shrunk down to the size of a housecat. A winged cat made him think of a sphinx, but wasn't it only a sphinx if it had a human head? Either way, he smiled and gave her a thumbs up as she flew ahead.

Edited by kagescorpionakki on Dec 21st 2020 at 1:32:01 PM

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

Class

Jirou visibly flinched in shock as Kaguya addressed him. "Sun's chosen... wait, what do you mean by that? You know who this blade once belonged to?" He tried to ask as their teacher melted into the wall. The room then spun, expanding and warping into something out of a drunken dream. "...Yabe. I think I might have an idea." He responded to Moirin. Or at least he hoped it was actually Moirin and not some figment of this grand illusion. "My guess is Genjutsu. Illusion arts that messes with our mind and perceptions, to the point where the subconscious believes they are real and causes our bodies to react accordingly. As for how to break them...well, give me a minute to recall." Mirroring his classmate, Jirou held his sword out like a blind man's cane to check the path ahead, eyes darting around as he tried to recall what he could about the subject. "The other possibility is that Kagya's a reality warper of some kind, which honestly doesn't change our situation that much at the moment apart from the fact that I don't have the slightest clue how to reset reality."

Edited by svenorzokarkoff on Dec 21st 2020 at 11:11:25 AM

Kyn flinched at the prick on the back of the neck and as the room expanded she gave a little sigh.

"Hey, anyone capable of feats of divine... Weightlessness? Or balancing really well? I might as well come out and say it, how about I fire an arrow towards the door and someone stand on it in-flight?"

It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.

Katarina

Katarina looked down as she soared ahead, passing by her boyfriend as he gave her a thumbs-up. She would've given him one too, but it wasn't like she had opposable thumbs. If this wasn't the only way over there without touching the ground and being part of the rat race, she would've...

...wait a minute.

Was it the only way?

She was pretty sure she could turn into beasts of myth or legend. Mostly because they weren't legend, if the giant sea monster burning to a crisp was any indication. (Still proud of that one.)

So what if she turned into something a bit more fitting?

She concentrated, hovering in mid-air as she closed her eyes and focused on her goal. It was time to stop turning into every Tom, Dick, and Harry on a whim and have some agency for once.

Though somehow she knew it wouldn't be that easy.

But at least for, it was. And perhaps is was that sense of control that clued her in. She didn't have to see herself to know the results. Still four legs. Still a tail. And still with a big-ass set of wings. But all a lot bigger. And no longer a cat. Or not just a cat. Her limbs and back were arranged for all fours, but her exquisite and shapely form were much more in line with what she was used to. And she was sporting a lavish set of duds fit for an Egyptian queen.

But the crowning jewel was her gem. With her latest change, it had moved from her breasts all the way to her forehead, settling in like jewellery. It was surrounded by various beads and necklaces, making it a fitting part of the ensemble. Either way, she didn't merely look like royalty. She felt like it. Even if it was for a passing moment, she was soaring in the skies like a Goddess of old, everything beneath her as her piercing eyes judged them all from on high.

But the sight of her boyfriend was enough to bring her down to Earth.

The sphinx briefly circled around before crashing down, stopping short of the ground and landing in front of Aaron with queenly grace. She let down her wings, gesturing with her head for Aaron to hop on. "Fancy the express route?"

Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around

Aaron

He slowed to a stop as Katarina landed before him. Aaron had seen her stop and focus, before shapeshifting again. She got a lot bigger, and this time Aaron was sure she was a sphinx. She looked damn regal, too. Especially with that gem on her... was that a crown? Man, shapeshifting was weird.

Aaron grinned as she bent down. "Gods, I love you."

He climbed on his girlfriend's back, making sure she wasn't too uncomfortable with his weight. Aaron wasn't a small guy, so it was impressive that Kat could make herself big enough for him to ride on.

Keeping his goofy grin plastered on his face, Aaron held out one hand and willed it to be holding a spear. On command, the weapon appeared in his grasp. Bronze from tip to haft, he pointed it forward.

"Let's go." He said. "If Kaguya tries to throw any enemies at us, I'll take 'em down, no sweat. You focus on flying. And thanks for the ride, babe."

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?